303.793.3400

Traveling without the Kids? Planning for a Minor’s Medical Care in Your Absence

Since many of our clients have been traveling (sans kiddos) this summer, we’ve received this question quite a bit:

What happens if there is a medical emergency with our child, and neither of us can be reached?
The better question, however, is “what can we do to prepare for a child’s medical emergency in the event they are in the temporary custody of another, and we’re not able to be reached?”

So glad you asked!

By law, parents have the right to make decisions on behalf of their minor child until the child reaches 18 years of age. Note this right is limited to the child’s parents and does not include the grandparents or their favorite uncle.

There are times when you and your child are separated, such as when you are traveling without them, or your child is off traveling with someone else. In these instances, an immediate response to a medical emergency may be required. This can be taken care of by a Special Power of Attorney – a specialized legal instrument that gives your Agent the authorization to make decisions for the medical care of your child on your behalf when you are not available.

At DRC, we carefully draft our documents to make them as functional and user-friendly as possible in an attempt to make your already complicated life a little bit easier. Our Special Power of Attorney allows you to designate different Agents for different time periods as you need, without having to re-visit your favorite attorney’s office every time. Though of course, we’d love to see you!

If you or someone you know may be interested, give us a call today!

Submitted By:  Anna E. Lineberger, Esq.